


The Enigma that is Sirius Black

by aievans



Series: Wolfstar One-Shots [1]
Category: Harry Potter - Fandom, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter - Marauders
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Gay Sirius, Happy Ending, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Jealousy, M/M, Model Sirius, Secrets, agent lily, chef james, death mentioned, gay remus, photographer peter, photographer remus, photographer slughorn, wolfstar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-27
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-09-12 14:12:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9075340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aievans/pseuds/aievans
Summary: Remus Lupin, fresh out of uni, has the chance that most wanna-be photographers dream of.  The best fashion photographer in the world has asked him to shadow him and possibly become his assistant.  Remus is beyond thrilled and excited to work under Horace Slughorn.  That's when he meets Sirius Black.  Sirius Black is an enigma that no one really understands and which rumors fly around which Remus doesn't know if he believes.  All he knows is that Sirius Black is very attractive.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I'm having someone "beta" read it tonight, which means she's not really a beta reader but oh well. What this means, is that I might edit some things in the morning.

It was Remus’ first day and he was beyond nervous. He checked his bag three times before deeming himself fit to leave his shambled apartment and catch a bus to the studio. He wasn’t even going to be the one taking photographs today – he was just going to be shadowing. Still, he had all of the equipment he had ever bought in his bag, and he was lugging it around just in case he got a chance to step up and show what he had. Sure, they would have cameras there, but Remus was comfortable with his. Besides, showing what he could do with a mediocre camera could prove a lot more of his worth.

He was rocking back and forth on his feet in the lobby of the studio. It was a tall and narrow building, squashed between an Indian restaurant and an old book store. Despite the age of the building, the studio managed to make the area look modern. The lobby was simple, with slick black flooring and clean white furniture. Remus felt shabby in his beat down slacks and worn sweater among the high end decor. The female at the reception desk smiled widely at him though. She had dark hair pulled up into a bun and batted her eyes at him when he walked up.

“Um – Remus Lupin. I’m supposed to be shadowing – uh one Horace Slughorn today,” Remus said, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

The girl shuddered. “Good luck with that one,” she said. “He’s a – well he’s definitely the most radical of our photographers. Yes, here, I have a notice about you. You’re to be on the shoot on the second floor with the Puddifoot shoot. I’m Dorcas Meadowes, by the way, if you need anything.”

“Actually, there is something you could help me with. Who’s in the shoot, what to expect, things like that. I’d like to make a good impression – and not get fired my first day on the job.”

“Well if you’re the new guy that Slughorn’s been rambling on about, I doubt that you have to worry too much, but I’m happy to help. Puddifoot is luxury designer fashion. Let me look up who’s modeling toda – oh my. Well even if Slughorn likes you, you’ve got a tough one. Looks like they’ve got Sirius Black and Marlene McKinnon in today. Black’s a hard one – little bit of a diva if you ask me. Plus, the two of them dated a while back. Didn’t end well when Black broke it off. Rumors are he’s gay and only dated her to prove his family wrong.”

Remus sighed and nodded. Of course his first day on the job he’d be given to the diva of the lot. He couldn’t be given to someone who everyone here loved and who was always nice and chatty. You wanted to prove yourself, Remus. Here’s your chance, he thought. He thanked Dorcas Meadowes and turned toward the stairs, heading to the second floor. Of course, once he was there found himself in a hall with three different doors. The door at the end of the short hall was open, so he decided to try that first. Luckily, he found himself in the right place.

Horace Slughorn was an older fellow who had one or two too many lobsters in his life. His suits were always slightly clashing. This day he wore pinstripe dark green, almost black, pants with a crème button down shirt, and an open tweed vest. He looked like an idiot, but Remus knew he was one of the top demanded fashion photographers in the time. To have been picked up by Slughorn and offered to shadow and work for him, it was an honor.

“Remus, my boy!” Slughorn said, slapping Remus’s shoulder and offering him an awkward smile. “Good show, just on time I see. Right, so you can set that heavy bag over there. I assume you’ve got your camera in there, as a good photographer doesn’t go anywhere without his camera. The extra cameras are on that table, so it’ll be safe there. After that, come and help these others get the lights and such set up.”

Remus did as he was instructed, carefully placing his bag on the table with the spare cameras, all of which were at least twice as expensive as the one in his bag, and moved to help the people setting up. It took about thirty minutes of work, in which Remus did whatever anyone asked. By the time they were done, he hadn’t even realized that the people dealing with the models had come in. There were hair stylists and makeup artists and racks of clothing that the models would be showing off. Then there were the models – well at least one of them. The one that Remus took to be Marlene was getting her hair done by another female while chatting to an agent-looking woman. Marlene was gorgeous, with bronze skin and dark brown hair. Her eyes were almond shaped and sharp, and her cheekbones were well defined. Her agent had fiery red hair pulled into a bun and was talking with her hands to the model.

“Lily, I promise I won’t cause any issues today. I know I need this shoot to go well,” Marlene was saying to the agent. “I’m just not promising that if he starts something I won’t finish it. I told you, I’m over what happened and I’m happy to move on from it – as long as he’s not an asshole about it all.”

“Marly, we’re talking about Black here. When is he not an asshole?”

“Eavesdropping isn’t nice, you know.”

Remus jumped at the voice that came from behind him. He spun around, stumbling and almost falling. He would have, in fact, fallen, if the man who had snuck up on him hadn’t grabbed his wrist and steadied him. Remus found himself looking straight at perhaps the most gorgeous man he had ever seen, no matter how cliché that sounded. The man had shaggy hair that was almost black. It was all glossy and had just enough tousle in it to make it look as though he didn’t really try to look that way. His skin was warm like the girl’s, but his eyes were far kinder than hers. His eyes had a glint of mischief in them, like he was in the middle of a laugh. Remus felt his breath catch in his throat as he tried to figure out how to respond.

“I – I hadn’t been – it wasn’t …”

The man laughed, his hand slowly dropping from Remus’s wrist. He didn’t move back from Remus though, causing them to be only inches apart. He laughed again.

“You don’t have to explain anything to me. It’s pretty easy to overhear them, especially when they’re talking about someone as amazing as me,” the man said, and Remus’ eyes widened. So this was Sirius Black? The man didn’t seem to notice Remus’s reaction, either that or he chose to ignore it. “So are you new around here? I haven’t seen you before.”

Remus swallowed hard. “Yeah. I’m Remus Lupin. I’m shadowing Horace Slughorn today, and – yeah.”

Sirius Black let out a low whistle. “Shadowing Sluggy? That’s impressive. You must be good if he’s picked you. Sluggy doesn’t pick up just any pretty boy to shadow him.”

Remus blushed at his words. Pretty boy? Sirius Black didn’t seem to notice and continued talking, reminding Remus of an over energetic puppy. “Guess I should be lucky to have you photographing me then. Sluggy’s prodigy.”

“Oh I’m not – I’m not taking photos today,” Remus said, finally getting control of his tongue again. “I’m – I’m just shadowing.”

Sirius Black seemed to pout for a second before smiling again. “Well that just means that I’ll have to keep coming back until you get to photograph me.”

Remus felt his cheeks heat slightly. He nodded curtly and heard someone calling for Sirius to get in position. Sirius winked at Remus, and Remus felt his cheeks go completely red as he watched Sirius swagger toward the set up.

“Watcher, lad,” Slughorn said, causing Remus to jump. “That one there is no good. Likes to charm people, get what he wants, and leave.”

“Is that what happened with McKinnon?” Remus asked, instantly biting his lip after. “Sorry. That’s none of my business.”

“Nor is it mine, but I still know. His parents are Lords, wealthy and very powerful, but they aren’t the kindest of minds. There was a large argument that no one really knows what started it. He left the family, but they still bother him often. Some of the members have offered him his place back after his father and brother died in an attack.”

“What’s this got to do with Marlene McKinnon?”

“Patients my dear boy. His family still often contacts him, and when rumors started spreading that he was gay, his mother contacted him about it. Said some nasty words apparently. Just after, he started dating Marlene. After their romance became popular and well known, he ended it.”

“So, a lot of people think that he did it to prove his mother wrong?”

“Think? My dear boy, we know. He’s never admitted to it, but what other option is there?”

Remus saw a very clear other option. Sirius was interested in Marlene but found that he didn’t care for her anymore and broke it off, and the timing of it all was just convenient. He didn’t say this though. He just nodded and asked what he could do to help out with the shoot. Slughorn instantly went into business mode. He started shouted orders to the workers and beckoned Remus to follow him. Remus stayed silent through it all, figuring that it was better to only speak when spoken too. Slughorn bustled around, taking photos, instructing the models and those in charge of the lights, fans, and other tools. Music blared through the room, some stupid Top 40 playlist. Remus stayed silent, following Slughorn just like a shadow.

Four hours of work later and the managers and agents were calling for a lunch break. One had just rolled around, and the models were clearly getting frustrated with Slughorn’s unhappiness with the shoot. It was a break they all needed. Remus grabbed his bag, checking his camera first, and moved toward the door when he was cut off by Sirius.

“There’s this good Indian place next door. I know the owner, and I was going to go there for lunch. Would you care to join me?”

“Wouldn’t your manager or agent or something have a fit about you going to lunch with a guy you just met?” Remus asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sirius snorted. “My agent? My agent? Lockheart is a moron who thinks that being the agent of ‘the great’ Sirius Black will make him famous by extent. He’s good with publicity, but an idiot everywhere else. He probably won’t notice or won’t care that I’m gone. He probably hopes that I get in trouble.”

“Any news is good news type?” Remus asked.

Sirius snorted and nodded. He stepped out of the room, leading Remus down the hall and toward the stairs. “Hey, I’m becoming a believer with how politics is going. Have you seen some of the idiots in power?”

“Like your family?”

Remus knew he had made a mistake. He stopped in his tracks, as did Sirius. Sirius’s shoulders were tight, his back to Remus. Remus didn’t know what had come over him. He normally had better control over his words that that.

“I’m sorry. That was out of line…”

“It was.”

“I should – I should go. Enjoy your lunch, Mr. Black.”

Sirius Black didn’t stop Remus when he walked past, deciding to get lunch on his own. He continued to curse himself all the way down the street and to the deli shop where he got a sandwich and promptly returned to set where he munched on the sandwich and examined the shots they had already taken.

“You know, the press will make a story out of anything.”

Remus jumped as the girl he had seen with Marlene, Lily he believe, sat down beside him. She leaned over, glancing at the image that was on the screen.

“They’re too stiff don’t you think?” Remus said after clearing his throat.

“I’m not the photographer. I am, however, an agent. I know a thing or two about the press, and where Sirius Black and the press is consider, it’s a mess.”

“You too, huh? What is with everyone wanting to talk about Sirius Black when no one seems to know him!”

Lily snorted and shook her head. “That’s who Sirius Black is. He’s the man that everyone talks about, but no one knows. He’s the one who doesn’t make pleasantries, so he’s called a diva. He’s the one who doesn’t date, so he’s called gay. No one really knows him though.”

“Marlene McKinnon must have at some point.”

Lily laughed again. “Trust me, she didn’t. That’s what the problem was. She never knew him – he never let her.”

“What are you talking about? Why are you talking to me?”

Lily sighed. “I really don’t know why I am. I’m supposed to hate him you know. Just remember. No one knows him, but everyone pretends that they do.”

With that Lily stood up and greeted the make-up artists, beginning a conversation. Remus felt lost and confused about what had just happened. What had she even been talking about? He shook his head, letting it drop.

The next few hours passed much like the hours before break. Soon the agents were calling for a stop, demanding to know why it had taken seven hours to go through two outfits.

“If you don’t like anything you’ve done, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it!” a blonde agent who Remus assumed was Sirius’ shouted at Slughorn.

“Gilderoy,” Lily said, batting her eyebrows and changing the other agent’s demeanor in an instant. “Let’s calm down, now. We’ve all had a long day. If I remember right, the pictures didn’t need to be turned in until tomorrow night. Marlene has nothing tomorrow, and if Sirius doesn’t either, we can come back after we’ve all had a nice night of rest.”

“Yes, Ms. Evans here is right,” Slughorn said, his voice quaking. “We all just need a night of rest. We can come back tomorrow refreshed and have a better shoot.”

“Perhaps if we get better music it would work better,” Sirius snorted, though it seemed to go unnoticed by Slughorn.

“Fine,” Lockheart said, throwing his hands up and running his hands through his curly locks. “We shall be back here tomorrow. Same time, but I do hope it doesn’t take as long.”

The crew began taking down the parts of the set they didn’t leave up overnight and storing the lighting away. Remus moved to help the crew, but Slughorn shooed him away and told him to go home.

“I may need your brain tomorrow to keep these two from going over the edge,” Slughorn said, and Remus didn’t know if he was referring to the models or the agents.

As Remus moved down the hall, Sirius came out of one of the other doors and almost ran into Remus. The two stared at each other and Remus shifted awkwardly.

“I’m sorry,” they both blurted out at the same time. Remus furrowed his eyebrows.

“What are you sorry for?” he asked. “I’m the one who spoke out of line. I have no right to talk about something I have no knowledge of.”

“I – well my friend informed me that I may have overreacted to it. It happens all the time, and normally it doesn’t bug me. It’s just –“

“You don’t need to explain.”

Remus offered Sirius a smile, and Sirius seemed to relax a little. “I guess I’ll be seeing you tomorrow. You know, if you take the camera maybe we could get out of here tomorrow in an hour or two.”

Remus snorted and shook his head. “I don’t think I’m that good. I’m definitely not better than Slughorn.”

“I don’t know about that. You couldn’t do much worse than him. He’s just – out of style, you know? I’d love to see your photos at some point.”

And with that, Sirius turned and left. A minute later Remus heard a motorcycle engine startup and slowly disappear down the street.

* * *

 

The next morning started with shouting and Remus decided that he did not have enough caffeine to deal with this.

“What do you mean we have to redo what they did yesterday!” Lockheart yelled at Slughorn.

“I looked over the photos. None of them are good enough.”

“It’s a shoot that will be online for a month or two at most! This isn’t your final piece!”

“I kind of have to agree with Lockheart on this one,” Lily said. “It seems somewhat silly to do what we’ve already done. I’m sure there’s something you can use from those outfits.”

“No, no, they’re all rubbish,” Slughorn insisted.

“Why not have Lupin do it?”

Sirius’s suggestion got the agents and Slughorn to fall silent. They looked at Sirius and then at Remus, which caused Remus’ cheeks to flush and he began to rock from one foot to the other.

“What do you mean?” Marlene asked, leaning back in her chair and blowing a bubble with her gum.

“Well, clearly Slughorn is – uh having a road block. So, there’s a second photographer in the room. Would it hurt to have him try?” Sirius said, shrugging.

Slughorn looked at Remus still and Remus swallowed. “Well, any ideas?” Slughorn asked, his voice a mix of resentment and – possibly jealousy?

Remus looked at Sirius and then at Marlene, and finally at the two racks of clothes that had to be gone through. He thought back to the pictures he had looked at yesterday. They’re too stiff don’t you think?

“We’re not comfortable,” Remus said. “The pictures, they’re all too stiff, too posed.”

“And how to you suggest we change that?” Lockheart asked, rolling his eyes. “With massages?”

“No,” Remus snapped. “Change of setting. We need to get out, get moving. In here, we have this little sheet that they have to stay in. They’re too focused on staying in the right area. So, would there be any harm in getting outside and taking some outside shots? It’s fairly nice out. The sun is actually out for once.”

“I don’t believe that Puddifoot said anything about it having to be inside,” Slughorn said cautiously. “Perhaps we could try that, then come back in here and finish up.”

Sirius practically bounded about, grabbing one of the outfits. Remus nodded, and suddenly a heavy camera was being shoved into his hands by Slughorn. His eyes went wide, and then he let himself smile slightly. He was given his opportunity, now he just couldn’t mess it up.

Marlene and Sirius seemed to be more relaxed today, and Remus wondered if Lily had spoken to them. She seemed to know a lot, and Remus could see that her words might have convinced them to set aside any ill feelings. A large group of them made their way out, and Remus took note of Dorcas Meadowes’ surprised look as the group of them paraded by.

Remus hadn’t been lying. For London, the day was nice. The crew worked in a circle, keeping passerbies from getting into the shots. Remus was shaking from his nerves. What if he was wrong about this all? What if he completely screwed this up? Slughorn could ensure that he never got hired as a photographer, even at stupid weddings.

Then Remus looked at Sirius, who smiled at him. When he smiled, it was as though he didn’t even try to. It reach up to his grey eyes without effort. He seemed so natural in this element, outside with the wind gently tugging at his hair. Remus felt himself relax with just that smile. Sirius nodded at him and Remus fell into his element.

Half of the outfits had been used by the time one rolled around and lunch was called again. Slughorn seemed huffy, but everyone seemed to be in a great mood. They were all chatting and laughing, moving back toward the studio. Sirius, who was near the front of the pack, stopped. He nodded his head toward the Indian restaurant next door. “Lunch, anyone?” and though the question was posed toward the group, his eyes were locked on Remus.

“Not for me,” Slughorn huffed, grabbing the camera from Remus. When Remus turned to protest he said, “I assume you’re going. No need for the camera.”

Remus knew Slughorn was right, so he let the issue drop. He nodded and when he turned back to look at Sirius, he was given one of Sirius’s easy smiles.

When they entered the restaurant, Sirius was instantly greeted by a man with spectacles and unruly dark hair. They greeted each other playfully, all smiles and laughs. Then the man’s eyes fell on Lily and he straightened up, his smile turning from school boy to charmer.

“Lily. Didn’t think I’d see you here again,” the man said.

“Neither did I,” Lily responded.

 

The man introduced himself as James Potter, owner and head chef of the restaurant after he had inherited it from his father. 

“That’s my best mate, James,” Sirius whispered into Remus’ ear, sending shivers down his spine. “When Marlene and I dated, they got close. We both thought they might hit it off. Then – well Marlene and I fell apart and they didn’t see each other.”

Remus was surprised that he was getting all of this from Sirius, with what happened the day before. He nodded though in response, hoping that it might continue. He remembered what Lily had said the day before. No one knew Sirius Black. That seemed wrong though. It seemed like this man knew Sirius Black well, as did Lily it appeared. What had she meant by that?

Lunch passed in a flurry. James Potter sat and ate with them, and him and Sirius told stories about the pranks they used to pull in school. Marlene and Lily seemed bored, as though they had heard all the stories before, but Remus was enrapt. He wished he had had enough guts to pull of pranks like that when he was in school.

The hour came to a close, and they all knew that they needed to be getting back to the studio. Sirius and James hugged, and Sirius placed a kiss on James’ cheek. “I’ll be home about the same time as last night. Want me to heat up some noodles when you get home?”

“Sounds great, Sirius. I’ll see you then.”

Sirius raised his hand in a goodbye as the group shuffled out of the restaurant and toward the next building over.

“Are you two dating?” Remus asked, slightly confused given the story Sirius had told him and by the actions between the two men.

“No no. We’re just close friends, that’s all,” Sirius said. “Would it matter?”

Remus felt himself flush at the question. “No! No matter.”

Slughorn took the reigns once they got back into the studio, but no one complained. Sirius and Marlene were still lose from before, and Remus was sure that the pictures were turning out better. The fact that they got through all but one of the outfits proved that.

“Well that’s good enough,” Slughorn said. “We’ll send these in and Puddifoot will send you the check. You were all wonderful.”

Remus grabbed his bag, throwing it over his shoulder and was moving to leave when Slughorn caught him by the arm.

“You’ve got great talent kid. I knew you did before, but today proved that as well,” he said, and Remus smiled at the compliment. “Be my assistant, won’t you? Every shoot I do, you’ll be there, helping me out.”

Remus didn’t know what to think. Being offered a job as Horace Slughorn’s assistant was an honor in the photography world. He was the best photographer in the fashion industry, and one of the best in everything else. He made the second highest salary of photographers alive. Remus nodded, not able to speak.

“Good good. I’ll see you here at seven o clock sharp tomorrow. We’ve got scheduling to go over and shoots to plan,” Slughorn said. He clapped Remus on the shoulder than waved him off.

Remus was still in a daze when he made his way down the stairs and outside that he didn’t even notice the motorcycle sitting just in front of him and jumped when it’s owner spoke.

“He offered you a place as his assistant, didn’t he?” Sirius asked.

Remus furrowed his eyebrows, not knowing how Sirius could possibly know that. He nodded though.

“If you know what’s best for you, you won’t take the job. You’ll run far away, start a job as a wedding photographer. Hell, if you’re really desperate for a job, I’ll higher you as my personal photographer.”

“I don’t understand. Why would it matter if I became his assistant? Why do you care?”

Sirius huffed, his fingers toying with the strap of his helmet. He looked down at the helmet for a moment, then back up at Remus. “I had a friend, when I first got into this. He didn’t get into uni, but he loved photographer. Carried this old Polaroid around with him all the time. I was in a job as a model instantly, and he begged me to give some of his pictures to photographers. Wanting to be a good friend I did. They got to Slughorn, and Slughorn took him on. He saw the talent that Peter had and instantly took him under his wing. Peter was his prodigy, and when Slughorn saw how good he was – when he saw that Peter could possibly surpass him – he asked Peter to be his assistant.  
“That’s when it got bad. Peter was constantly in his shadow. Any idea he had, it was credited to Slughorn. But Slughorn kept buttering him up, telling him that he would be a star and that everyone would know his name. Peter got in with some bad people that Slughorn knew, agents and managers who work with the shady. Next thing James and I know, Peter didn’t come home one night and was in the papers obituary the next day.”

Remus didn’t know what to say. His mouth opened and closed a couple times as he tried to formulate the words. “I’m so sorry.”

Sirius waved it off, but the way he held himself told a different story. “Look, Slughorn doesn’t like competition, and you’re competition. You have talent, and he will take that talent and drain it from you while taking the credit.”

“Why do you care?” Remus asked. “It shouldn’t matter to you. I’m a complete stranger.”

Sirius stepped forward and before Remus could comprehend what was happening, a warm and smooth hand was on his cheek. “Let me drive you home,” Sirius said. His voice was all soft and silky, and Remus felt himself melting toward the man. Sirius seemed to notice as his eyes flickered over Remus. He didn’t push him away though.

Remus cleared his throat, breaking the spell and stepping back. The abrupt change of topic should have thrown him off, made him unsteady and want to turn and run. “Okay,” he found himself saying though.

And then he was taking the helmet that Sirius handed to him and telling the man who was still a stranger to him his address. Sirius swung his leg over the bike with grace, and Remus attempted to copy him but found himself far less gracefully.

Sirius chuckled a little. “Hold on,” he said.

Remus’ hands shook, but as soon as the bike started there was no hesitation on Remus’s part to wrap his arms around Sirius’ waist and hold on for dear life. He could feel Sirius’ laugh, but it wasn’t cruel or malicious. In fact, it made Remus chuckle in returned. It seemed natural to be on the back of the bike of this person he barely even knew, and Remus found that he didn’t want to question that.

* * *

 

Remus woke up feeling heavy when his alarm went off the next morning. His quieted the alarm before finding a text waiting for him on his phone. Sirius. Sirius Black who had taken his phone the night before and texted himself so they had each other’s numbers. Sirius Black who was hard and soft and secretive and open all at the same time. Sirius Black who had Remus’ mind in a muddle.

SB: u have no reason 2 believe anything i said last night. for all u no i could have made the whole story up. if you want proof, just bring the name peter up and watch sluggy. his face will give it all away.

Remus still didn’t know what he was going to do when he reached the studio. Dorcas smiled at him and greeted him pleasantly, and he barely acknowledged it before asking where Slughorn’s office was. Dorcas pointed down the hall, telling him that it was the last door on the left.

Slughorn’s office was a combination of the studio as a whole and his own style choices. Everything was modern and sleek, but seemed to clash with itself. Silver and gold were both in excess and the shades of green that frequented the furniture were too close but not close enough to make everything seem right. Slughorn smiled at Remus and told him to sit, motioning at the second chair behind his desk. He handed Remus a personal schedule and began pulling up files and emails. Remus couldn’t help but think about Sirius’ story. You have talent, and he will take that talent and drain it from you while taking the credit.

Remus, while he was supposed to be looking over the possible shoots they could take on, happened to glance up and catch a glimpse of one of Slughorn’s emails, this one from Puddifoot and sent to him just that morning.

Puddifoot: Horace, we are beyond pleased with the work you did with Sirius and Marlene the past two days. The idea of taking the shoot outside is perfect, and the shots look brilliant. We’ll get you your check soon and look for the magazine edition next month.

Remus swallowed and shifted. He grasped at his phone, pretending to have felt it vibrate in his pocket. He spoke, looking at Slughorn from the corner of his eye.

“Sorry, I forgot to turn my phone off. It’s one of my old school friends, Peter. He’s got a dinner thing tonight that he’s asking me about.”

Remus saw it, clear. Slughorn tensed at the name Peter, his fingers quivering on the mouse he was holding. He looked up and over at Remus, who promptly put his phone away.

“You’ve been talking to Sirius Black. He put you up to this, didn’t he?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking abo…”

“Get out! Get out this instant! You know nothing about me, and I will not have an assistant who listens to rumors spread by a cock-sucking faggot.”

Remus rose, his chair tumbling backwards. “Rumors that look pretty true given that email you just got. What other option is there?”

Remus grabbed his bag and stormed out, making sure to slam the door on his way. Dorcas looked up in surprise when he stormed past, but he if she said anything he didn’t say anything.

He didn’t calm down until he was outside and the cool breeze hit him hard. He took a breath, closing his eyes and letting himself relax. He’d just been fired.

“Fuck,” he huffed under his breath.

What was he going to do now? He considered texting Sirius, telling him that he had been right and that it had gotten Remus fired in the process, but his stomach grumbling put that on hold. Food first, then he would decide what he needed to do. He certainly couldn’t ask his father to help pay for another month of rent. He didn’t need another lecture about his ‘futureless’ career choice.

Remus ducked into the Indian restaurant with only the thought of food and the worries about finding a job on his mind. A sweet, college aged girl led him to a table near the back of the room and handed him a menu. He was looking it over when he heard a chair scrape and the seat across from him was taken by a solemn looking Sirius Black.

“Considering you’re having lunch at ten, you brought the name Peter up,” Sirius said, playing with a napkin on the table.

“Yeah. He was instantly onto me and told me that he didn’t want an assistant who listened to rumors from – well it wasn’t nice,” Remus said.

He couldn’t decide if he was angry at Sirius for what happened. Sirius had been trying to help him, hadn’t he? He was trying to protect Remus from the same fate as his friend. Then what was the turning in his stomach that wouldn’t quit and why were his hands shaking?

“He fired you! Damn, I thought he might freak out and tell you some cock-bull story to get you to stay,” Sirius said. “This is brilliant!”

“Brilliant!” Remus snapped, slamming his menu down on the table. “How the bloody hell is it brilliant that I lost my job, which means I will probably lose my apartment and have to find some bloody shelter to take me in until I find another place to work!”

Sirius seemed taken aback. He opened his mouth, then closed it, apparently trying to find the words to say. Remus huffed and stood up, making a move to leave. Sirius reached out, grabbing his wrist. His grey eyes were begging Remus to stay, and though his body ached to sit back down, his mind told him not to.

“Remus, I didn’t know – if I had known that you were so tight for money I wouldn’t have suggested you go about it that way. Look, I’ve been wanting to take Slughorn down for a while, and I got excited. I’ve got – I know a way you can make money though. I’ve got connections, and hell you’ve got me. I work for a lot of companies and if I tell them that …”

“Oh god, they were right,” Remus huffed, managing to cut Sirius off. “He said that you just used people to get what you wanted or needed. That’s what this all was. You saw a chance to take down Slughorn for what he did to your friend, and used me to do it. You know, it’s all admirable and honorable, until you consider that you didn’t even think about me in it.”

“Think about you!” Sirius was now standing as well, dangerously close to Remus. “That’s all I was doing! Yeah, I thought about getting you into a place where you could knock Slughorn off of his high stool, but any of the ideas how didn’t come to me until last night when I was up all night worrying about you!”

“Why the hell were you up all night worrying about me? I’m nobody!”

“You’re not nobody! You’re someone who’s got a bloody future that Slughorn was going to take! You’re somebody who’s got a light and a passion in you that’s so beautiful, and he was going to snuff it out until you’re boring and dull like everyone else in this damn industry.”

Remus didn’t know what was propelling him forward, but suddenly he was gripping Sirius’s shirt and pulling him in. And then their lips were melded together, their bodies pressed close. Remus’s mind went muddy, his worries and anger disappearing with the soft touch of Sirius’s lips. His hands slipped, wrapping themselves around Sirius’ neck. Sirius pulled back, pressing their foreheads together.

“Two days ago, I saw somebody beautiful, somebody who the world hadn’t ruined. Or perhaps the world had tried to ruin, but who hadn’t give up on the world. I saw that, and I saw somebody who would beat that person until they gave up on the world. I saw that beauty being trailed by a shadow that was jealous and dangerous. That’s why I was up all night worrying.”

“Oh god get a room!”

Remus jumped back at James Potter’s voice. He looked over with wide eyes to see the boy chuckling. He saw Sirius roll his eyes and suddenly Remus was being dragged back in for another kiss. This one was longer, more desperate, and Remus didn’t care who might see. It wasn’t like the restaurant had been busy anyway.

“Remus Lupin, let me preserve that beauty I saw?”

“Isn’t that what pictures are for?”

“What’s the point of pictures when I can make sure it stays that way in reality?”

**Author's Note:**

> So this is just a short little fic with not much to it. It's just the bare bones of a story. If you guys really like it and want to see more, let me know and I might take it and expand it into a novella that's between 10k and 20k words. I'm going to try to get another wolfstar short fic up tomorrow because I'm wolfstar trash.  
> Comment down below, I love hearing from you guys!


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